Isaak's music can be described as a blend of country, blues, rock'n'roll, pop and surf rock.
He signed a contract to Warner Brothers Records in 1984 for his first album "Silvertone". Isaak's contract was renewed in 1988 when Warner moved him to their Reprise Records label.
His best-known song is "Wicked Game". Though released on the 1989 album "Heart Shaped World", an instrumental version of the song was later featured in the David Lynch film 'Wild at Heart' (and also years later in the 2000 film The Family Man). An Atlanta radio station DJ began playing the full version and it quickly became a nation-wide top ten hit. The music video for the song was directed by Herb Ritts and was a big MTV and VH1 hit; shot in black and white, it starred Isaak and model Helena Christensen rolling on the beach, embracing and whispering in each others' ears.
In 1999, Isaak's "Baby Did A Bad, Bad Thing" was featured in Stanley Kubrick's final film 'Eyes Wide Shut', starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
In 2001, Chris Isaak starred in his own television show, 'The Chris Isaak Show'. It aired from March 2001 to March 2004 in the United States on the cable television network Showtime. This adult comedy show featured Chris Isaak and his band playing themselves with the episode plots based on fictional accounts of the backstage world of Chris Isaak - the rock star next door.
In 2004, his track "Life Will Go On" was featured on the 'Chasing Liberty' soundtrack, which starred Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode.
He hosted a talk show on the Biography cable channel in the United States in 2009 that offered a unique twist - each guest was a musical artist, and both Chris and the artist performed various songs throughout each show. Eight episodes aired in early 2009, featuring guests Trisha Yearwood, Stevie Nicks, Glen Campbell, Michael Buble, Chicago, The Smashing Pumpkins, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), and Jewel.
Isaak has also appeared in numerous films, mostly playing minor cameo roles, though he starred with Keanu Reeves and Bridget Fonda in the 1993 Bernardo Bertolucci-directed 'Little Buddha', and also played a major role in David Lynch's 'Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me' (1992). Other motion pictures include 'Married to the Mob' (1988), 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991), 'That Thing You Do!' (1996), and 'A Dirty Shame' (2004). He also guest-starred on the Super Bowl Sunday (1996) edition of the television sitcom Friends and on the HBO miniseries, From the Earth to the Moon (HBO).
Chris is also an amateur boxer, avid surfer and a former Golden Gloves champion.
San Fransisco Days
Chris Isaak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I still need you, don't hang up and say goodbye
Walking on the beach last night, hoping things would be all right
My baby lying on her bed, it's you I saw instead
Thinking of the one I love, you're the one I'm thinking of
San Francisco days, San Francisco nights
That I still think of you, we never will be through
San Francisco days, San Francisco nights
San Francisco days, San Francisco nights
I still love you, I still want you
I still need you, don't hang up and say goodbye
Walking down to market street feeling my heart skip a beat
To see someone who looks like you, I guess that I'm not through
Dreaming of the one I love, you know what I'm dreaming of
San Francisco days, San Francisco nights
I'm heading for that golden gate hoping I won't be too late
To find the one that I still love
It's you I'm dreaming of, San Francisco nights
San Francisco days, San Francisco nights
San Francisco days, San Francisco nights
San Francisco
Days by Chris Isaak is a love song filled with nostalgia and longing for a lost love. The song tells the story of a man who still loves and wants his ex-girlfriend, and reminisces about the times they spent together in San Francisco. The lyrics express his hope of being reunited with her and his fear of losing her forever.
The first verse of the song talks about the man walking on the beach and thinking about his lost love. He remembers how she used to lie on her bed and how he saw her face instead of his current girlfriend. He is reminded of the time he spent with his ex-lover in San Francisco, and how those days and nights were filled with happiness and love.
In the second verse, the man talks about meeting a girl in Mexico, but realizing that he still thinks of his lost love. He acknowledges that they may never be together again, but he can't help but think about her all the time.
The chorus of the song repeats the lines "I still love you, I still want you, I still need you, don't hang up and say goodbye". These lines show how much the man still cares about his lost love and how he hopes to reconnect with her someday.
Overall, San Francisco Days is a poignant and beautifully written song about lost love and the hope of being reunited. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, and Chris Isaak's soulful voice brings out the emotion and longing in every word.
Line by Line Meaning
I still love you, I still want you
The singer still has strong feelings for the person he is addressing
I still need you, don't hang up and say goodbye
The singer is pleading with the person not to end their relationship
Walking on the beach last night, hoping things would be all right
The singer was walking on the beach, hoping that his relationship problems would resolve
My baby lying on her bed, it's you I saw instead
The person the singer saw in his mind's eye, instead of his actual partner, was the one he still loves
Thinking of the one I love, you're the one I'm thinking of
The singer is thinking of the person he still loves, who is the person he is addressing
San Francisco days, San Francisco nights
The title of the song reflects the singer's nostalgia and longing for San Francisco
I met a girl in Mexico I should of told her then I know
The singer met someone else, but wishes he had been honest with her about his feelings for the person he is addressing
That I still think of you, we never will be through
The singer is still thinking of the person he is addressing and believes they will always be linked
Walking down to market street feeling my heart skip a beat
The singer felt his heart race at the sight of someone who reminded him of the person he is addressing
To see someone who looks like you, I guess that I'm not through
The singer is still not over the person he is addressing and is still seeking them out
Dreaming of the one I love, you know what I'm dreaming of
The singer is dreaming of the person he still loves and is hoping to be reunited with them in San Francisco
I'm heading for that golden gate hoping I won't be too late
The singer is heading to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, hoping to find the person he is addressing before it's too late
To find the one that I still love, It's you I'm dreaming of, San Francisco nights
The singer is searching for the person he still loves in San Francisco and believes they are meant to be together
San Francisco days, San Francisco nights
The singer's love for the person he is addressing is inseparable from his memories of San Francisco
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS ISAAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@williamtripp15
Use to listen to Chris Isaak on road trip to the ocean as a child in the 80s. Every since have been a fan. Love this song and lots of his work, then and for forever.
@SJSharkWannabe
I heard this song at Candlestick Park in the late 90s before a Giants game, & I just now rediscovered this great song. It’s so perfect.
@thinktankagain
I listened to this song and watched the video clip (with the little dog walking down there) in the 1990s and for me it was an instant classic. Now to listen to it again is a bliss. I send a lot of love and hugs to you Mr. Isaak. Your fan from Iraq.
@michaelmoraga2926
forever Sunset.... This song always makes me homesick, and will always be the soundtrack for my years in SF. Thanks, Chris! ...and loved your local shows. (Greetings from Kyoto)
@fernandaalmeidadesantos8154
Boa madrugada abençoada por Deus meu amor querido Chris Iaak Deus abençoe nossas vidas e família grandemente bjs no seu coração 😘❤️👏🏼🙌🏽
@bhallais1
Heard this song for the first time on The Affair. Love it.
@Henrytheape
Me too.
@simrankaur7152
Same here
@mahellsy
Já conhecia faz bom tempp
@jasonnewstead3174
Yeh alright so I'm very late like usual, but kept hearing this on work radio and knew it was Chris so I had to find it and get into it, and now just can't stop singing it lol. Thanks Chris, I love this song!